Cartridge-carrier



(No Model.)

L. R. FERGUSON.

' GARTRIDGB CARRIER.

No. 574,531. l l Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

' Irl G- 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEIVIS R. FERGUSON, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS.

CARTRIDG E-CARRI ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,531, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed December 23, 1895. Serial No. 573,077. (No model.)

To @ZZ 107mm/ t 711,601/ oon/cern:

.Be it known that I, LEWIS R. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Oartridge-Oarrier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in cartridge-carriers, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction illustrated and described inv a former application filed by me April 16, 1895, Serial No. 545,947, in the same class of invention.

The present invention aims to dispense with the supplemental and independent springactuated cut-off described in the aforesaid application and to provide a follower of simpler and cheaper construction. These and other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the drawings, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved carrier and the manner of its attachment to a garment. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section through the metal discharge-chute at the bottom of the flexible pocket, showing the dropper-frame, follower, rbc. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the lower end of the carrier. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the follower. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the dropper-frame. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the hooked plates with which the inner surface of the front wall of the carrier is lined.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a flexible pocket, which may be made of any flexible or textile material, preferably canvas, the same being provided in the course of manufacture with laterally-projecting edges 2, by means of which it may be stitched or otherwise secured to a vest, coat, or other garment, a portion of which is represented at 3 in Fig. 1. This flexible pocket when reinforced by suitable stiffening devices, hereinafter referred to, is rectangular in cross-section and of such size as to receive a quantity of shells or cartridges horizontally. l The upper end of this pocket is closed by means of aflap 4, having astrap extension 5, adapted to engage a suitable buckle fastened to the front wall of the pocket, nearits upper end, as shown in Fig. 1.

At the lower end the pocket 1 has riveted or otherwise secured thereto a metallic discharge-chute 6, of rectangular cross-sectional shape, the rear wall of which is deiiected forward at its bottom edge, as indicated at 7, and extended below the plane of the bottom edge of the front'wall to establish a forwardlyopening discharge-mouth S. 9 designates the improved dropper-frame, which comprises a pair of triangular side plates 10, connected by a horizontal cross-web 11', having at its upper edge an inwardly-extending cut-off 12. This dropper-frame embraces the chute 6, so that the triangular side plates are located exteriorly thereto and operate against the sides of said chute, to which they are pivoted at their upper ends, as indicated at 121. The lower inner corners of the plates 10 are connected by a rod 13, which passes through segmental slots 14 in the side walls of the chute 6 and constitutes the lower cut-off.

The segmental slots 14 are described in the arc of a circle, of which the pivot 12 of the dropper-frame is a center, and extend from the rear wall of the chute to the proximal center thereof, the cut-off rodV 13 being normally held at the advance ends of said slots by means of springs 15, located at each side of the chute, one end of each spring being rigidly connected to the chute, while its opposite free end rests within the web 11, as clearly shown in the drawings. These springs are arranged between the side plates 10 and the adjacent walls of the chute, so that they are protected and out of the way. W'hen the pivoted dropper-frame is pressed inward, the upper cut-off 12 operates through a horizontal slot 16 in the front wall of the chute and is projected between the lowermost cartridge or shell and the one next above it. In the same operation the lower eut-off 13 is removed from beneath the bottom cartridge or s11e1l,which` is thus free to fall and be discharged through IOO the mouth S of the chute and into the hand of the sportsman, the same hand with which the dropper-frame is manipulated. Upon releasing the dropper-frame it is returned to its normal outward position by means of the springs l5, and in such return movement the upper cut-off is withdrawn from the chute, whereupon the lowermost cartridge or shell descends until it rests against the bottom cutoff, and the series of superposed cartridges or shells gravitate correspondingly.

Upon the inside of the flexible pocket and secured to the rear wall thereof is a vertical series of horizontally-disposed stiffeningplates 17, and opposite these plates and secured to the front wall of the pocket is a series of hooked eatclrplates 18, also disposed horizontally and having their upper edges bent over to form hooks lf) for engaging a follower.

90 designates the follower, which comprises a rectangular plate of metal, the lower portion of which is curved forward to form a pocket 2l for the reception of a cartridge, the said pocket being provided at each end with guards 22 for preventing endwise movement of the cartridge when placed therein. A U-shaped or three-sided incision is made in the central portion of the follower, and that portion included within and bounded by such incision is bent or curved forward, as at 23, to partially embrace the cartridge carried by the follower and also to form a ledge or shoulder upon which a spring-actuated pawl or detent 24 may rest when in its lowermost position. Spaced ears 25 are also formed integrally with the follower to receive the inner pivoted end of the detent, and the latter is slotted centrally of its pivoted end to admit of the actuating-spring 2G, which is coiled around the pivot thereof and bears at one eX- tremity against the follower properand at its other end against the detent. The weight of the cartridge carried by the follower assists in moving the latter downward, and the detent of the follower, by reason of its engagement with the hooks l), prevents retrograde movement of the cartridges upon the limiter assuming a stooping position.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have materially simplified and improved the construction set forth in my said form er application, hereinabove referred to, in that I have dispensed with the independently-pivoted and spring-actuated cut off by makin g such cut-off integral with or part of the dropper-frame. The follower is also simpler in construction and less expensive in manufacture, and by reason of its having a straight back will gravitate with more ease within the flexible pocket. Instead of securing the carrier permanently to one of the garments of the hunter it will be understood that the same may be suspended from the shoulder by a suitable strap for the purpose, but the construction shown and d eseribed has the preference.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

lIaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a cartridge-earrier, a vertically-dis posed tl exible poeket,adapted to be suspended from the shoulder, a rigid discharge-chute located at the lower end of said pocket, and a pivoted and spring-actuated dropper-frame hinged to said chute and carrying an upper cut-off and a lower cut-off both rigidly connected therewith and adapted to operate, substantially as specified.

In a cartridge-carrier, a flexible pocket adapted to contain a number of cartridges, and a rigid discharge-chute attached to the end of said pocket and forming an extension thereof, in combination with a dropper-frame hinged to the discharge-chute and provided with two cut-offs rigidly connected together for holding and releasing the cartridges, substantially as described.

3. In a cartridge-carrier, a flexible pocket adapted to contain the cartridges, and an inflexible dischargechute attached to the end of the pocket, in combination with a dropperframe hinged to the dischargechute and partially surrounding and' embracing the same, a cut-off rigidly connected to the swinging end of the dropper-fraine and operating in segmental slots in the chute described in the are of a circle of which the pivotal point of the dropper-frame is the center, a second eutoff rigidly connected to the dropper-frame and located intermediate the swinging end and the pivotal point thereof and operating through an openingin the chute, and a spring bearing against the dropper-frame, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEVIS R. FERGUSON.

XVitnesses:

F. E. SMITH, M. B. DowNs.

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